Showing posts with label UUA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UUA. Show all posts

Monday, March 13, 2023

How the Chalice Was Poisoned




How the Chalice Was Poisoned
Rev. Richard Trudeau
It started with a mental virus.

By a "mental virus" I mean a bad idea that becomes widespread. For example, for several years in the 1980s there were pictures of missing children on milk cartons. It had been determined (true) there were thousands of missing and presumably kidnapped children in the U.S. But publicizing their pictures was revealed to be a bad idea when a few people went beyond their feelings, investigated, and learned that virtually all of these children had beentaken by a parent during a custody battle.

In the 1990s another mental virus emerged, and I believe this is the root of the turmoil in Unitarian Universalism. The bad idea was--and is--that in the U.S., racism is at crisis level. This was proclaimed by, among others, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who thundered that "racism is just as bad as it ever was, it's just gone underground." Though some were skeptical of Rev.Sharpton in view of the fact that his livelihood depended on his ability to detect racism, he attracted many well-intentioned acolytes who did not bother to verify their feelings with reason or evidence.

Who am I, a Person of Pallor, to opine about racism? Virtually all of my ancestors came from France or the British Isles. I don't have the "lived experience" of being black in the U.S. But I have my own lived experience, that of an intelligent, curious, and observant white person who has been paying attention to racism in the U.S. for 72 years.

On the opening day of first grade (I was 5) my mother said to me, "Now, there may be Negro children in your class. If there are, other children may call them [the n-word]. Don't ever say that! It hurts their feelings."

I asked, "Why would kids want to hurt their feelings?"

She said, "Some people think that Negroes aren't as good as other people."

I asked, "Is that true?"

She said, "Of course not."

I remember Brown vs. Board of Education (I was 8), and how horrified I was when I learned that in the South black kids had to go to bad schools. I remember the Montgomery bus boycott, and how it went on for more than a year. I remember the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing law. (Years later I served on my city's Fair Housing Commission.)

I have read many dozens of books by African-Americans about what it's like to be black in the U.S.--beginning with Booker T. Washington's Up from Slavery in grade school to, recently, books by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ibram X. Kendi, John McWhorter, Erec Smith, Thomas Chatterton Williams, and Heather McGee.

To the "woke" I say: When you woke up to the reality of racism in the U.S. I was already awake, and had been for decades.

In the 1990s I was confused when UU officials, whom I now understand to have been victims of the mental virus, started speaking of racism as being at a crisis level. This contradicted my own perception that racism had declined continuously, albeit in fits and starts, throughout my lifetime. In that same decade congregants at the churches I served were telling me that their teenage children considered interracial dating to be "no big deal." (My reaction: "Oh my goodness. How wonderful!")

To investigate what UU officials were saying, I asked three black friends to tell me about their experiences with racism. They all said that racism was real and they had occasionally experienced it, but that it had been only an infuriating inconvenience and not the obstacle it had been for their grandparents. They felt they could live wherever they wanted, date whomever they wanted, and go after any job they wanted.

"What about George Floyd?" I imagine someone asking. Yes, what about George Floyd? On the first anniversary of his gut-wrenching killing (May 25, 2020), I asked a fellow UU minister how many unarmed black people he felt had been killed that year by police. "I understand you probably don't know the exact number," I told him, "but what's your feeling about the range? Did the police kill ten unarmed black people in 2020? Or more like a hundred? Or a thousand? Five thousand?"

"Certainly more than a hundred," he said, "but probably not as many as a thousand. I'd guess something like seven or eight hundred."

The answer is 18, according to the Washington Post, which has been compiling statistics on this matter for several years. The number of unarmed white people killed by police in 2020 was 26. Since there are only one-fifth as many blacks as whites in the U.S., the black killings are definitely out of proportion--one-fifth of 26 would be 5, not 18. Racism certainly explains some of the discrepancy, but other considerations are relevant also--like the fact (it is a fact) that young black men commit more crimes than young white men.

For a quarter-century the idea that fighting racism should be the principal focus of UU social-justice efforts has proliferated among UUA officials and UU ministers. Many of these people, while sincere, tend not to validate their feelings with reason or evidence. Others, I think, are opportunists who, abetted by the UUA's faulty democracy, are exploiting the mental virus, and the shame--and resulting paralysis--that many white people feel about racism, to seize control of the UUA, and to corrupt it into an organization that no longer seeks to serve, but to dominate; that no longer seeks to listen, but to dictate; and no longer seeks to support, but to punish.

This essay is reprinted with permission from the March, 2023 of the UUMUAC newsletter.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof announces the formation of the North American Unitarian Association.

 Rev.  Dr. Todd Elkof gave a sermon on 12/04/22 about the formation of the North American Unitarian Association.

Sunday, December 4, 2022

North American Unitarian Association is forming.


During the services today, Sunday, 12/04/22, Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof announced the formation of the North American Unitarian Association.

His sermon is worth listening to.


Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Changing the purposes of the UUA



It has been suggested by the committee on UUA article II bylaws that the purpose of the organization be changed from a service organization to an advocacy organization to “heal historic inequities.”


Historically, the Unitarian Universalist Association was to serve the needs of its member organizations which function for religious, educational, and humanitarian purposes reasons. The draft states that the UUA “will transform the world by our liberating love.” Many have questioned what this sentence means specifically fearing that it opens the door to the political agenda of the board of directors.


In asking for feedback, the committee asks how a person would vote on the proposed change from no to yes on a four point scale and then asks for suggestions. You can read the text by clicking here, and you can provide feedback by clicking here. Feedback is requested by 11/28/22.


Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Groundswell of opposition growing against article 2 changes to UUA bylaws.


Today it was learned by the staff at UU A Way Of Life that November 28th may be the last day that the comments on the UUA bylaws revision will be accepted. Here is the link for comments - https://bit.ly/A2FeedbackNov It's supposed to be available until November 28. The comment form  tracks emails, so you can only enter comments once.

The bylaw revisions change the purpose of the Unitarian Universalist Association, eliminate the seven principles and the six sources, and add wording about inclusion. A side by side comparison of the changes can be accessed by clicking here.

There is a groundswell of objections to these revisions coming from UU groups such as UUMUAC (Unitarian Universalist Multiracial Action Council), the Fifth Principle Project, and many individuals and UU congregations.

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

UU has lost its way.

 Click to enlarge.

Unitarian Universalism is badly in need of a revival so that it can clarify its vision, its mission, its goals, its processes and bring salvation to human kind.

Sunday, October 30, 2022

The vision and mission of the UUA


In the rush down the hole of racism and social justice topics the UUA has forgotten the vision and mission of the association.

The vision of the UUA is the creation of a better world of justice, equity, and compassion.

The mission of the UUA is to nurture and enhance the ability of its member congregations to raise the spiritual intelligence of their members and the world.

The UUA has forgotten who it is and what it is about.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

If an organization doesn’t stand for something, its members will fall for anything.


Some racial minorities have said they are drawn to UU’s beliefs but have difficulty fitting in with the dominant culture. One congregant wrote, “I don’t think segregation is intentional. It’s a matter of music, demographics, age, culture, worship style, etc.”

Cycleback, David. Against Illiberalism: A critique of illiberal trends in liberal institutions, with a focus on Unitarian Universalism (p. 16). Center for Artifact Studies. Kindle Edition. 


UU worship services for the most part are boring and appeal to WASPs. Even the gospel songs are sung at a plodding pace. There are exceptions and some of the larger UU churches such as All Souls in Tulsa Oklahoma offer different types of worship formats.


With people who have migrated to UU from other denominations or none there often are multiple preferences and not everyone can be pleased. In one congregation there was an ongoing conflict over whether applause was appropriate during the services. The minister was caught in the middle and there was a power struggle among the members of the worship committee which seeped into the congregation. 


It is interesting how these minor disagreements can poison a congregation leading to schism and estrangement. Without a strong minister willing to take a stand the wrangling continues with negative consequences.


There is little to no guidance from the UUA on such matters and so there is little uniformity or coherence in UU worship which is detrimental to a more universal identification with the denomination.


The decentralized governance structure of UU in which every congregation is self governing, liturgical coherence and denominational identification is compromised. If an organization doesn’t stand for something, then its members will fall for anything.


Monday, May 16, 2022

Where have all the members gone? UU is shrinking.

Doubling concerns, according to its last census in 2020, UU membership was at its lowest in twenty-three years. Despite the country’s population increasing seventy-five percent, UU’s membership is nineteen percent smaller than when it was formed in 1961 and has shrunk since introducing radical anti-racism initiatives starting in the last twenty-five years. (UUA 2020) (Loehr 2005) (Halsted 2019) (UUA 1997)

Cycleback, David, "Why The UUA Is Doomed To Fail," UUMUAC Newsletter, May, 2022

Where have all the UUs gone? The denomination is shrinking despite so much that it has to offer the world.

UU got distracted by a social justice agenda rather than its true mission which is to facilitate the growth of spiritual intelligence. UU needs to enter into a time of renewal to rethink its mission and where best to invest its knowledge, skills, and values.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

What has gotten into the UUA?


Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a tiny, eccentric, politically far left and predominantly white church with dwindling membership. It is far whiter than the United States population and than most Christian and conservative churches, including the Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Anglican Church and Mormons. While UU has advanced from its heterosexual patriarchal roots, the lack of racial diversity has been a source of angst to many UUs who see themselves as social justice vanguards. (UUA 2010) (Braestrup 2017)

"Why The UUA Is Doomed To Fail" by David Cycleback in the UUMUAC newsletter, May, 2022

The UUA has banned UUMUAC, the Unitarian Universalist Multiracial Unity Action Council, from purchasing a display booth at the General Assembly saying that the UUMUAC's mission is not compatible with that of the UUA. 

Here is the mission statement of the UUMUAC:

 "It is the mission of the Unitarian Universalist Multiracial Unity Action Caucus to carry out and foster anti-racist and multiracial unity activities both within and outside the Unitarian Universalist Association through education, bearing witness and other actions, and expansion of our membership both within and outside the walls of our congregations.
We also seek to defend our UU Principles against those who seek to undermine them."


Thursday, January 20, 2022

Something's wrong at the UUA


The Unitarian Universalist Association has taken to banning books and censoring people who disagree with their policies in spite of their covenantal principal to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

For more click here.

The UUA lost its way several years ago when it changed focus to a social justice agenda. Social justice is not the mission of Unitarian Universalism, facilitating spiritual development is.


Sunday, October 10, 2021

Should the seven principles be considered sacrosanct?


The statement of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism was adopted by the Unitarian Universalism General Assembly in 1985 and has served the association of UU congregations well.

Now there is talk of messing with it by adding new principles. As Rev. Denise D Tracy has written the seven principles should be considered immutable and unchangeable. Amendments can be added but the original seven principles which were developed over 9 years of study and discernment should be considered sacrosanct.

Unitarian Universalists do not like authority which is considered sacred. They would rather question, complain, discuss, reason, and argue. This tendency to be skeptical, curious, and rebellious is a good up to a point, but is nothing holy, is nothing true, can nothing be counted on?

Unitarian Universalists either believe in nothing permanent or they believe in something true. In the post modern world, sometimes called the "post truth world", there is no truth according to the adherents of this worldview. But this is false belief and leads one eventually to pessimistic nihilism. If you believe in nothing, you will fall for anything.

There is an infinite presence, whatever you want to call it, "Higher Power," "God," "Mother Nature," "The Force," and it fuels the good, the true, and the beautiful. The Seven Principles are good, true, and beautiful and they should be not only allowed to stand, but lifted up as a beacon of faith not to be tampered with.


Saturday, October 9, 2021

Unitarian Universalism badly in need of a revival.



If you have sat through UU sermons are there any that you remember? Are there any that made a difference in your life? If so, how? Are there any that made a difference in your congregation, in your community, in the nation, in the world?

If the answer is "no" to these questions then you begin to understand why the growth of Unitarian Universalism is stagnant and declining.

What is to be done about this sad state of affairs? Unitarian Universalism is in need of a revival. It needs to return to its roots and recapture what was and is important in its faith tradition.

Contemporary Unitarian Universalism has lost its way. It has no vision for the future that captures the interest of the members of society. It has lost its mission of nurturing the spiritual development of humanity. It has been distracted by social justice issues and psychobabble not knowing what else to pay attention to. Lately, the attention of many gifted UU leaders has been captured by infighting about issues which have no relevance outside of denominational politics.

Here at UU A Way Of Life ministries we work to nurture spiritual development in all people and in our communities. The miracle principle # 12 in A Course In Miracles is that "Miracles are thoughts." A quick way to assess the state of Unitarian Universalism is to answer the question, "What are UUs giving their attention to?" They are primarily giving their attention to social issues. This is a huge error. Jesus, when asked about the split between the political and the spiritual said, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."


Sunday, August 1, 2021

The Gadfly Papers - If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.



If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.


In the third essay in The Gadfly Papers, “Let’s Be Reasonable” Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof provides a crash course in logic and a critique of Robin DiAngelo’s book “White Fragility” and its misuse by those in UUA leadership who argue that the UUA is racist.


Eklof’s effort to ‘be reasonable” and appeal to a sense of rationality and logic falls on deaf ears of people who don’t have the ears to hear. Jesus says, Let those with the ears to hear, hear. Not happening. At least not anytime soon, with those at pre-rational levels of thinking kicking out and marginalizing those with rational and post modern ways of thinking.


It seems that Peter Morales and Scott Taylor jumped ship when the waters got turbulent, and according to the Fifth Principle Project more ministers are leaving the UU Ministerial Association every day.


In my short involvement in Unitarian Universalism over the last 16 years it seems like schism, abandonment, and rejection are the go to coping mechanisms when conflict occurs in Unitarian Universalism. The inability to resolve conflict is the major stumbling block for the denomination and has contributed to its stagnation, paralysis, and lack of growth.


Until UU creates conflict resolving mechanisms within its congregations and the Association, it will continue to struggle and dissipate. Perhaps a new denominational structure will have to be created which has a good balance between hierarchical authority and respect for congregational governance. Is that possible or are the two things antithetical? The Roman Catholic Church has been doing it for over 2,000 years.


The last thing to be considered that Eklof seems to miss in his critique is the lack of a meaningful mission for the UUA and many of its congregations. It seems to me to be first and foremost a social club with fellowship and civic participation a main theme much like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, and the Elks. Second, many congregations and the UUA seem to adopt social justice agendas as if they were social agencies advocating for societal betterment just like any secular social service and social justice agency. Third, the facilitation of spiritual growth of members and society seems to be a forgotten activity and component of its mission and is addressed only marginally if at all.


The failure to pursue the mission of spiritual development appears to be a lack of theological training for clergy, and education and support for laity. The perennial theology is rarely discussed or raised as a topic worthy of UU time and energy. In this marginalization of its spiritual mission,  UU fails in its primary function in society.


Without a clear sense of mission at the Association and the congregational level, UU will continue to wander in the desert of our post modern society with no compass to guide its members who then will peel off and look for truth and meaning elsewhere.


As the old proverb says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” And the second proverb, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”


God bless Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof for his courage and erudition for speaking up and bringing our attention to some of the problems in UUA. He has apparently gone against the grain, upset the able cart, distrubed the status quo and got his ass kicked out of the UUA and UUMA. He seems to be one of the few people who really care about the denomination and is willing to put his career and integrity on the line for it.


Thanks again!


Tuesday, July 13, 2021

UU: Divorce or rejuvenation?


UU: Divorce or rejuvenation?

It also remains doubtful Universalism’s pre-merger Judeo-Christian tradition, its faith in Jesus, or its belief in universal salvation will still resonate with more than a few remnants after a denominational split. On the other hand, Unitarianism’s historic commitment to reason, freedom of conscience, and our common humanity are part of what draws and holds many individuals to Unitarian Universalism even now, though the UUA itself pays little homage to these cherished principles. Indeed, many are likely to become deeply troubled upon learning of the UUA’s deviation from these core values and will seek an alternative, either by demanding institutional change, or deciding to abandon a faith that has abandoned them. For these, I hope a renewed commitment to Unitarianism alone will be a better alternative, along with the formation of a new association of Unitarians, including individuals and their communities, that can finally move forward toward our common goals because we have reconnected with our historic past. 


As in many a marriage, it is possible to initially be drawn together by a shared passion, to marry because of common interests, to share many years of happiness together, but to eventually grow apart, realize the relationship isn’t working anymore, and to finally break up, hopefully departing as friends. I suggest that time has come for our denomination, and, with this essay, propose its members begin seriously discussing the dissolution of the UUA.


Eklof, Todd. The Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays by One Pesky Minister . Kindle Edition. 


You can’t have a divorce and complain the marriage didn’t work if it was not, in good faith, even been tried. 


The seven principles and the eight sources are the ties that bind but they are rarely discussed in a thoughtful way as the values and roots which bind UUs together. What has contributed to the failure so far with the merger is poor leadership and dysfunctional governance. The failure to educate and train the ministry and lay people is a significant factor in the denomination’s malaise.


It is not time to throw in the towel but a time to roll up our proverbial shirt sleeves and get to work. UUs have excellent values which are sorely needed in a weary world which has lost its spiritual foundations. It is time for a vitalization of the perennial philosophy which is found in an interreligious understanding of what is fundamental to being human.


There is a need to move beyond the egocentric and ethnocentric levels of consciousness to the worldcentric and integral levels. UU is poised to do this, but it lacks the nerve and a theology which plots the course and provides the tools. It is time to step up, not call it quits. 


There are small groups like UU A Way Of Life ministries and others willing to venture forward to create a preferred future where the seven principles provide a framework and sustain the mission. Join us today.


Sunday, July 11, 2021

How to join a UU church? "Just sign the book."




                                                             Just sign the book

In the report’s concluding remarks, Rev. Paul N. Carnes, who would later be elected President of the UUA, stated, “religious liberalism has little to meet the challenge of today's need, or win our own personal need, if all it offers is a casual ‘Join us and you can believe anything you want to’—as if religious convictions were to be left to such ephemeral judges as whim and wish!”[127]


Eklof, Todd. The Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays by One Pesky Minister pp.71-72


When Rev. Dr. Eklof quoted Rev. Carnes, it made me laugh as I remember the first UU church I got involved with around 2005. I had attended several times and after a service asked the part time minister what I had to do to join the church. He said, “Sign the book.”


I said, “What?”


He said, “Just sign the book.”


I said, “What book?”


He said, “The membership book.”


I said, “Are there any classes or instructions regarding the qualifications for membership?”


“No, just sign the book,” was all he said.


I thought to myself, “What the hell kind of a church is this?”


Now looking back I don’t know whether it is more funny or cruel. I think it is a sign of ministerial incompetence. I am reminded of Groucho Marx’s comedic statement that he didn’t think he would want to be a member of any country club that would admit any person like himself into membership.


What kind of a church would just take anybody into a covenantal relationship without even explaining to the prospective member what that relationship might involve? More was required for me to join Rotary that to join a UU church. 


No wonder UU is dying and can’t attract and retain committed members in meaningful covenantal relationships. Is it a matter of easy come, easy go? If we don’t stand for something, we will fall for anything.


Saturday, July 10, 2021

UU offers the hope for a spiritual journey but provides no map.


 Spiritual journey with no map

This jumbled, if not relativistic, understanding of what Unitarian Universalism means to UUs themselves becomes apparent in a 2005 Commission on Appraisal report entitled, Engaging our Theological Diversity, asking UU members, “What holds us together?” One participant said, “It’s the support network.”[118] Another saw “the UU movement as an interreligious dialogue.”[119] Another said UU congregations are comprised of “people who didn’t fit in”[120] anywhere else. Still others actually complained about us not having a common belief. “This is where the UUA falls down,” they said, “and why you have CUUPS and the Buddhists and the Christians and all these little subgroups—because we offer the hope of a spiritual journey, and we offer no tools to do it with.”[121]


Eklof, Todd. The Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays by One Pesky Minister . Kindle Edition.  


In his Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays, in the second essay, “I want a divorce,” Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof points out that after the merging of Unitarianism and Universalism in 1961 into Unitarian Universalism, the denomination was set off on theological drift. Since then It has wandered aimlessly. And while it talks a good game, and says some attractive things, it doesn’t deliver the goods.


Eklof cites the 2005 Commission on Appraisal Report which writes that while UU offers a hope for a spiritual journey it offers no tools. The sermons of UU ministers and lay leaders are a composite of social justice themes and self-help psychobabble. Instead of a lectionary, some congregations have monthly themes like “hope,” “kindness,” “mercy”, etc. Most of these sermons amount to a motivational speech based on pop psychology rather than an informative explication of theological concepts based on the perennial philosophy. There is no common core of understanding, values, and/or ethical vision tied to any meta narrative and overarching theological understanding.


It seems that UU stands for nothing and anything will do to fill up worship time and pulpit sermons. 


To solve the problem of amorphous ambiguity some congregations try to create a center of gravity by using one of the six sources and so they tend to be focused on Christian concepts or Buddhist concepts or humanistic concepts or Earth Centered philosophies. This can be somewhat helpful to local congregations but does not help with a broader affinity at the Association level. What is it that all UU congregations believe and hold in common? Herein lies the Tower of Babel that is the source of trouble for the dysfunctional  organization that is the UUA.


Eklof suggests that a divorce may be indicated but  another option is a transformation to a higher level of cultural maturity which would embrace and teach the perennial wisdom that all religious traditions have in common. This requires investment in training and funding interreligious teachers and scholars and improved training for UU ministers and lay leaders. The people are hungry for it and need it in order to continue to grow and develop spiritually. It is what we are committed to here at UU A Way Of Life.


Monday, July 5, 2021

Mission creep leads to UU enervation.



Mission creep leads to enervation. 


In the second essay entitled “I want a divorce” in his book of three essays, The Gadfly Papers, Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof discusses the history  of Unitarianism, Universalism, their merger in 1961, and the resulting “identity crisis” which has plagued the denomination ever since.


Our common quest for the elusive “elevator speech” to explain what Unitarian Universalism means is but one symptom of our own organization’s identity crisis. After more than five decades since the merger, many Unitarian Universalists still don’t know how to adequately describe their religion to themselves, let alone to others. Some find it with so little meaning of its own that they feel compelled to add other traditions to the mix, describing themselves as Buddhist UUs, Christian UUs, Pagan UUs, Humanist UUs, etc., etc.


Eklof, Todd. The Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays by One Pesky Minister . Kindle Edition. 


The passage above is humorous and sad. Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote seven principles which flow from six sources. They are easily summarized on  a colorful bookmark sold by the UUA bookstore. It is easy to describe the UU religion if one is properly educated and trained which most are not. The mystery is why not?


The failure to properly educate Unitarian Universalists in the fundamentals of their faith is because they are too easily captured by social justice special interest groups who want recognition for their grievance rather than a deeper understanding of the spiritual nature of their existential dilemmas. 


UU has lost its way because of the failure of its clergy and lay leaders to pursue a spiritual journey rather than a secular quest. UU has been enervated by its mission creep. What it needs is a spiritual revival so that it can regain its mission in the world and its vision of the fulfillment of what it might become: a conduit of spiritual solace to a weary world.


Sunday, July 4, 2021

Is UU dividing its members by catering to special interests?


 Topic Eight

Unitarian Universalism catering to special interests.


Fortunately, Unitarian Universalism need only recall its roots to embrace an ethic based upon our common humanity. Even so, at this crossroads in our history, it has become a choice we must make. Will we abandon this principle as part of the “institutional change” our denominational leaders are now initiating, replacing it with the divisive philosophies of safetyism, identitarianism, and political correctness, or will we wholly embrace it that we might wholly embrace each other? Will we listen to the voices of our ancestors calling us forward, or, even while claiming not to believe in Hell, pave our way there with good intentions?


Eklof, Todd. The Gadfly Papers: Three Inconvenient Essays by One Pesky Minister . Kindle Edition. 


Rev. Todd Eklof ends his first essay in the Gadfly Papers, “The Coddling Of The Unitarian Universalist Mind,” with the idea that if Unitarian Universalism is to survive it must mature, grow up, and overcome its current dynamic of siding with those who want to play the victim at everyone else’s expense.


There is a difference between a rebel and a revolutionary. A rebel separates and divides and attacks as a victim those it perceives as oppressors only to take on the role of the oppressor themselves. The revolutionary, on the other hand, transforms and brings about healthy systemic change.


The political climate of Unitarian Universalism over the last two decades has been to identify with the victim and attack their so called oppressors indiscriminately thereby overlooking the good of the whole.


Eklof is calling for a more systemic understanding manifested as cultural maturity among UU leaders and members. This cultural maturity is facilitated by the “acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations” which is UU’s third principle which has been overlooked and set aside by the current UU leadership. As Eklof suggests, it is time to get back to basics and start living our principles, not some social justice agenda promoted by special interests.


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